Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off late in the game as his side lost 2-1 to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Al Hilal's Salem Al Dawsari and Brazilian forward Malcom scored twice in 11 minutes, before Sadio Mane struck a late consolation for Nassr, as Jorge Jesus's side booked their spot in Thursday's final against Al Ittihad.
Hilal took the lead just after the hour mark when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic set up Al Dawsari on the counterattack.
The Saudi Arabian international ran on to the Serbian's pass before unleashing a low shot from the edge of the area beyond the reach of the Nassr’s Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina.
Hilal's second goal was made in Brazil as Michael floated a cross for Malcom to head the ball into the back of the net after 72 minutes and put the Saudi Pro League leaders firmly the driving seat.
Ronaldo was red carded four minutes from time after clashing with Hilal's Ali Al Bulayhi before Mane gave Luis Castro's a glimmer of hope when he pulled one back nine minutes into injury time.
The first half in Abu Dhabi had ended goalless but provided plenty of action to entertain the more than 35,000 travelling fans packed into the stadium.
Both teams created scoring opportunities in a pacey and attacking first 45 minutes with plenty of end-to-end action throughout.
Ronaldo worked down the right flank but his attempt from inside the area went wide of the far post. He then had an excellent chance to put his side in front but his powerful volley from close range flew over the crossbar.
In between, Ospina pulled off a brilliant save by pushing out Al Bulayhi’s effort diving low to his right in the 14th minute.
Hilal had another opportunity to go ahead but Malcom fired his shot wide from the edge of the box despite having plenty of time and space.
Nassr thought they had scored six minutes into added time at the end of the first period. Mane split the Hilal defence with a precise cross, which Ronaldo missed, and fellow Portuguese forward Otavio put into the net at the far post.
But the goal was disallowed as Ronaldo was ruled offside after a VAR review.
Hilal came close to breaking the deadlock early in the second half when Abdullah Al Hamdan’s header inside the six-yard box sailed just over the bar, while Ospina was kept busy with a barrage of attacks.
Hilal were the better team for most of the second period and will meet Al Ittihad in Thursday’s final after Marcelo Gallardo's side overcame Al Wehda 2-1 in the earlier semi-final.
Al Ittihad 2 Al Wehda 1 - in pictures
A goal from Karim Benzema in the opening minute and a second from Abderrazak Hamdallah three minutes before the break sealed Ittihad’s 2-1 triumph at Al Nahyan Stadium.
Benzema slammed a poor clearance inside the area from the Wehda defence into the top right-hand corner to put his side ahead and just before the break Hamdallah doubled the lead by prodding a cross from Romarinho from point-blank range past the Moroccan goalkeeper Munir.
Ittihad’s Portuguese winger Jota found the back of the net five minutes into first-half added time but that was ruled out following VAR review.
Wehda stepped up their game in the second half. They nearly pulled one back but Vito van Crooij’s thunderbolt from the edge of the box crashed against the crossbar in the 51st minute.
Anselmo Anselmo’s powerful strike from the edge of the area was brilliantly blocked by Abdullah Al Muaiouf five minutes later.
Wehda had an opportunity to close the gap from a spot kick awarded for a handball but their Moroccan midfielder Faycal Fajr sent it way above the bar two minutes into added time.
They grabbed a consolation goal when their Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo sent Hussein Al Eisa clear to score at the near post but it turned out to be too little, too late for Wehda.
Brief scores:
Kashima Antlers 0
River Plate 4
Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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